Hiking: A Slackpacker's Guide

I have walked miles on the Appalachian Trail. I have scrambled over boulders, through fallen trees, and crossed streams on rotten logs and slippery wet rocks half underwater. I have explored deep into the woods far off any known trail looking for old homesites and abandoned cemeteries. I have bushwhacked through greenbrier jungles. I have huffed and puffed my way up steep trails and slid on my ass down them. I have hiked in hot sun, rain and snow, excessive humidity and bitter cold winds. I have encountered bear, rattlesnakes, copperheads, mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. I have eaten and breathed dirt, pollen, gnats, and other unidentified substances. And at the end of the day, I have taken a hot shower and slept in a warm bed. I am a slackpacker.

What is a slackpacker? According to Slackpacker.com, a slackpacker is somewhere in between the casual day hiker and the backpacker. A slackpacker loves hiking and enjoys expeditions into wilderness. The slackpacker will usually stick to the trail, but has no problem bushwhacking to investigate something interesting. The slackpacker will generally opt for the longer, more difficult hike to avoid the masses. And at the end of the day, the slackpacker heads for the comfort of washing off the day's trail grime, changing into clean dry clothes, eating a scrumptious, hot meal, and sleeping in a soft bed.

The romantic notions of sleeping under the stars, eating s'mores and telling stories while sitting around a toasty, warm campfire, greeting the sun first thing in the morning while breathing in sparkling clean air as one raises their arms to the sky in some sort of 'It's good to be alive!' salutation doesn't fool the slackpacker. No, the slackpacker isn't interested in spending the night on the hard ground wrapped in a cocoon, stringing perishables high in a tree to, hopefully, keep the bears and other uninvited critters away, boiling water to drink, eating trail mix and some lukewarm pasty concoction, washing dirt and crud off in a frigid stream, wearing the same crusty clothes and socks, AND packing it all up to carry on the back for another day of putting in miles on the trail.

As a confirmed slackpacker, there are other more subtle differences I have noticed. When I hit the trail, I am in no hurry to cover the miles. I look all around at my surroundings - the bright yellow fungus growing on a tree, a perfectly shaped purple mushroom, a pink lady's slipper, a monarch butterfly flitting in the breeze, a doe and her fawn, a crumbling rock wall or artifact from an old homesite, a stern owl with glowing eyes high in a tree - and I take pictures of it all. If a side trail will take me to a spectacular viewpoint or interesting location, I do not hesitate to detour. I may even alter my original course.

On the other hand, I pass many backpackers, particularly thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, who are walking as if on a mission (which I guess, technically, they are - get to the next campsite before nightfall). Their strides are long and purposeful and their gaze is focused straight ahead. I get out of their way! To them, it's all about the mileage. Me? It's all about looking and exploring and lollygagging.

I have often said that if I were to try and hike the entire AT, it would take me years, not months. I would have to stop and investigate and take pictures of everything such as following a road trace to a possible homesite, or checking the presence of periwinkle for an old graveyard nearby, or exploring an interesting rock formation, or just stopping to watch fish swim in a stream.

Backpackers and thru-hikers always seem to stick to the trail. I never do. Even in summer when bushwhacking is NOT recommended, I always seem to have a tendency to wander off-trail, all in the name of exploration - something may have caught my eye and a closer look is warranted.

So what is in my slacker's pack?

First and foremost, I love my trail runners. I do not skimp on investing in a good pair of shoes because even though I slackpack, I do cover some miles. Trail runners are lightweight, made for off-road surfaces, and provide good support and cushioning. I figure if they were designed to run trails, then they will be perfect for walking the trails too.

I do not carry a backpack. My favorite piece of equipment is a travel vest, like a fishing vest, with plenty of pockets - outside, inside, front, and back. Everything is easily accessible without having to stop and sling a pack off my back. And in those pockets, I always have...

• A camera, sometimes 2
• Water
• Small 1st aid pouch - wipes, band-aids, ointment
• Bug spray and sunscreen (usually travel sizes on a carabiner)
• Snacks (trail mix, crackers, single serve packs)
• Poncho and fold-up rainhat
• Whistle
• Headlamp (got stuck deep in woods after dark one time, no more!)
• Trail map(s), guide(s) (depending on the area or planned expedition)
• Compass
• TP (travel roll)
• Baggie (for trash)
• Small notebook & pencil (personal preference - notes, etc.)
• Lighter

I also allow myself the luxury of a cell phone (emergencies) and a handheld GPS. Although to rely solely on these items is foolish. Trees, mountain peaks, valleys often block satellites and signals. I generally use the GPS as a trip computer, but I have loaded waypoints and hike routes for specific expeditions. Once or twice, I used the TracBack option (although my TracBack route is generally so zig-zaggy as to be useless).

In conclusion, I love hiking. But the idea of camping out does not thrill me in the least. I hike in all sorts of weather conditions and through all sorts of terrain, but at night, I want to be able to do a complete body tick check, wash the leaves and other assorted detritus out of my hair, let my sore and stiff muscles soak in hot water, brush my teeth at a sink, sleep on a mattress, greet the next morning with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a donut in the other, and get ready to head out on the trail again - renewed and refreshed!